GAD (Global Architectural Development) with the GAD Foundation, in cooperation with Indigo Group, have announced the launch of an international architecture competition “Re-Imagining Cappadocia as an Eco-District.” The competition calls on young architects from around the world to envision a new natural environment based on advanced designs that allow for living sustainably in the scenic and magical landscape of Türkiye’s famed tourism destination Cappadocia. The competition seeks to extend design insight into architecture embedded and in harmony with the Cappadocian landscape as the focus of Eco-District tourism and sustainable living. The competition is set in the Avanos district of the Cappadocia Region of Turkey, in a globally famed region known for its history, geology and tourism, seeking to inspire more ecological tourism designs and strategies.
The main theme of the competition is based on the idea of an “Eco-District” that will be the site of resilient, lightweight, undetectable buildings, structures, and eco-cabins coupled with activity areas taking advantage of the natural topography. The competition asks for proposals combining design and ecological methods in the vast landscape that will be organized as an Eco-District with agricultural/sustainable/organic production areas combined with outdoor activities for walking and hiking to stimulate exploration and discovery. The competition calls for a non-invasive approach to the design of the “Eco-District” where ecosystems are supported and new construction is minimized considering the many rock-carved dwellings in the Cappadocia and Avanos region that flourish with scenic natural beauty and distinctive geomorphological landscapes.
Gokhan Avcioglu, Founder of the GAD Foundation commented on the Re-Imagining Cappadocia, “We are very pleased to be able to continue our architectural efforts in Cappadocia that we have started with GAD Architecture with our GAD Foundation’s new competition, Re-Imagining Cappadocia.” Gokhan Karakus, Director of the GAD Foundation and Competition Director remarked, “We are happy to organize this competition with a jury of distinguished architectural and ecological thinkers including Ferda Kolatan, David Basulto, Elif Erdine, Ayuko Izaki, and Zoe Ryan. We hope to bring together architecture and ecological strategies for a distinctive new tourism in Cappadocia with our partners, Indigo Group, who have committed to long-term sustainable ecotourism in the Cappadocia region with respect to cultural heritage and the unique geology of the region.” The competition seeks designs from young professionals with a degree in architecture (? 35 years old) to propose advanced architecture concepts with the purpose of creating eco-friendly and sustainable models for tourism emphasizing resilience, economic efficiency, microclimatic solutions, and respect for geological and ecological factors.
The competition offers a total of €10,000 in prizes including the 1st Prize of €5,000, 2nd Prize of €3,000, 3rd Prize of €1,000, 2 Golden Mentions of €500 each, 10 Honorable Mentions, and 30 Finalists. Submissions are due on June 30, 2023.
Jurors
Ayako Ezaki – Director of Training Strategies & Development at TrainingAid, sustainable tourism consultancy
David Basulto – Architect and Co-Founder of ArchDaily
Elif Erdine – Director at Emergent Technologies and Design Post-Graduate Programme (EmTech), at the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture
Ferda Kolatan – Founding director of SU11 Architecture + Design and an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design
Zoë Ryan – Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania
Gokhan Karakus, Competition Director, Designer & Director, GAD Design and Art LLC New York
Requested Materials
Competitors are required to submit a maximum of 3 A1 panels (59,4 x 84,1 cm) landscape or vertically oriented. Panels must contain all the necessary graphic information to explain the project in the best way possible (title, diagrams, sketches, renderings, model pictures, hand sketches, 3D visualizations, plans, facades, cross-sections, collages, model photos). Competitors also have to submit an A3 album landscape-oriented, a maximum of 7 pages (boards) long. For more information about the competition guidelines and requirements, visit the GAD Foundation website at https://www.gadfoundation.com/cappadocia/. The deadline for submission is June 30, 2023.